This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from an application for COMPUTER earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on May 17, 2001 and there duly assigned Serial No. 27046/2001 and an application for COMPUTER earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Nov. 6, 2001 and there duly assigned Serial. No. 68914/2001 by that Office.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a desktop computer, and more particularly, a desktop computer having a casing which is easily assembled and disassembled.
2. Description of the Related Art
To easily repair or exchange computer components, a casing for a conventional computer includes a front cover on which a power switch is located, a main casing having an opening in its side and accommodating various kind of components, and a panel removably closing the opening in the main cover.
This conventional computer is mostly used on a desk. A user prefers a computer occupying a relatively small space on the desk because the desk has a limited space. Accordingly, to make a computer that occupies a small space, a casing should have such a structure that the hardware is stacked. However, in such a computer, a casing should have a middle frame between a movable casing and a motherboard in order to decrease the occupied space. Further, because the middle frame must be removed by using a tool such as a screwdriver in order to exchange or repair components such as a RAM and a CPU mounted on the motherboard, the procedure of assembling and disassembling becomes complicated.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a computer which is simply assembled and disassembled.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved computer.
It is another object to provide a computer in which hardware is easily assembled and disassembled.
It is also an object to provide a computer that does not require the use of a tool such as a screwdriver for removing a middle frame in order to exchange or repair computer components.
It is further an object to provide a computer using a movable casing that covers the fixed casing and that accommodates computer components.
It is still further an object to provide a computer using a latch that engages and disengages the movable casing to and from the fixed casing.
It is yet further an object to provide a computer that permits access to components on the motherboard only by opening a movable casing.
It is another object to provide a computer having a latch that engages the movable casing to the fixed casing at multiple locations and disengages the movable casing engaged to the fixed casing at the multiple locations from the fixed casing at a time by siding a latch.
The computer having features of the present invention may be constructed with a fixed casing, a movable casing, a pair of hinges rotatably coupling the fixed casing to the movable casing, and a latch.
The fixed casing accommodates various kinds of components and has an opening. The movable casing covers at least part of the opening of the fixed casing and accommodates at least one computer component. The hinges rotatably couple the fixed casing to the movable casing.
The latch engages and disengages the movable casing to and from the fixed casing. The latch includes a slide mounted on the fixed casing. The slide has an offset corresponding to a tab located in the fixed casing. The latch moves laterally so as to engage the tab to the offset where the movable casing covers the opening and to disengage the tab from the offset where the movable casing uncovers the opening. Where the movable casing covers the opening of the fixed casing, the components accommodated in the fixed casing and the movable casing are not accessible for repairing or removing those components. Where the movable casing uncovers said opening, those components are accessible for their repair or removal.
The computer preferably includes at least one elongated hole formed on the slide along a sliding direction and at least one boss protruding from the fixed casing. The boss is inserted into the elongated hole so as to guide the sliding of the slide.
The latch also preferably includes a grip.
The computer preferably includes a catch provided at the fixed casing, and a release lever provided at a free end of the slide. The release lever is caught and released by the catch. One of the catch and the release lever is preferably made of a material which can be elastically deformed against the other.
The computer preferably includes a clasp provided at a position adjacent to the release lever, and pushing the release lever so as to release the release lever from the catch by rotation thereof. Preferably, the clasp has a finger hole.
The computer preferably includes a spring having a first end coupled to the fixed casing and a second end coupled to the slide.